Tap
by Lou-deadfroggy
Summary: Sometimes there are noises in the night and even elves get scared.


**Things That Go Bump**

**A stand alone in the All That Glitters universe, set during the Third Age. Sometimes things go bump in the night and even elves get scared.**

… …

Elladan tossed over in bed, waking up suddenly from his dream. That in itself was not normal, he was a sound sleeper. He looked over at Elrohir, still fast asleep in his bed and pulled the covers back over his head. It was dark, too dark for him to even think about getting up.

He wondered what had woken him, he had been having a nice dream where Arwen's favourite dress got ruined and for once no one blamed him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He sat up straight in bed, staring around in the gloom.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Ro, Ro is that you?" he asked his twin quietly. Elrohir did not reply, still sleeping. Quickly he crossed the room, shaking his brother's shoulder.

"Ro, wake up there is a tapping somewhere and I do not know what it is." Elrohir's small face creased into a frown as he batted Elladan away.

"Just a tree outside, go back to sle…"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"What was that?" Elrohir was wide awake now, sitting close up to his brother.

"I do not know. There are no trees outside the window. What do we do?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Ro? Dan? S'me. Awen, there's a tappin, it scawee," a little voice said from the other side of the door. Elladan had it open in a flash, admitting his little sister and her only constant companion: a crinkled blanket. Arwen got up onto the bed next to Elrohir and snuggled down. She was asleep in moments, forgetting the scary noise outside.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The twins curled up either side of their sister protectively, neither one daring to go near the window and find out what the noise was.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Elladan? Uh, there is a tapping outside, I thought you two might know how to stop it," came a slightly older voice. Lindir pushed the door open bashfully, not wanting to admit he was scared. Elladan shimmied up to let him onto the bed too.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Melpomaen entered without a word, curling up next to the others quickly. He had obviously followed Lindir and did not want to be left out.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

They all cringed when the door creaked open, apart from Arwen who was asleep. A ghostly white head appeared.

"Are you all scared?" Legolas asked from where he stood.

"No!" Elrohir hissed back. "Arwen is and we are keeping her company." The blond boy climbed up on the now overcrowded bed.

"Then I shall keep her company too," he declared. "Not because I am scared of the tapping."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Legolas quickly disappeared under the blankets, his large green eyes poking out.

"Can I come too?" Edweniel asked from just behind the door. "There is a tapping near my window. It might be something big."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The seven elflings curled up together, Arwen still fast asleep in the middle.

"Someone needs to shut the door," Elrohir said after a while. "I can see a shadow out there."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

No one volunteered.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

In ran, armed with a stuffed pillow, Yarna. She stopped when she saw them all.

"I came to stop the tapping. It might be a balrog," she said as she climbed up beside Lindir. "I thought it had eaten you all for you are not in your beds."

"No, you are all in mine," muttered Elrohir.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"If that is a balrog, is it going to eat us all?" Edweniel asked timidly. They all fell silent as a large shadow appeared behind a flickering yellow light.

"It is a balrog," Legolas squeaked. The shadow reached the door, making them all cower back against the wall.

Seven elflings screamed, waking up the eight who also screamed as the figure stepped into the room.

"My, my, what is going on here?" Elrond asked, setting down the candle. "Is it you who have been tapping all night?"

"No, Ada, we are all scared of the tapping!" Elladan replied to a chorus of protests about being scared coming from his bedfellows.

"I see, well maybe we should all just stay here until we can see what this tapping is." Elrond moved several sleepy elflings around to make room for himself.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

... …

Glorfindel went looking for his nice the next morning, wondering why no one seemed to be at breakfast.

"Good morning my Lord," he said, one eyebrow raised at the scene of Elrond asleep surrounded by the entire nursery.

"Shh, they are shleepin," Arwen told him, the only one awake. Glorfindel nodded and walked off, smiling slightly to himself.

"Erestor, did you lock the cat out last night?" he asked as he passed the darker elf.

"I thought I did but no, apparently not."

"Odd, I thought I heard a tapping outside."


End file.
